You’ll Be Hearing a Lot About These 10 Stars
Joseph Cress/Iowa City Press-Citizen/ USA TODAY NETWORK
There are Cinderella teams in every NCAA men’s and women’s tournament. But there are also those individual players who become household names and part of March Madness lore. With both tourneys just days away, here are the players you need to keep on your radar.
Men’s tournament
• Johnny Davis, Wisconsin: Sitting atop SI’s top 50 players of the season, no player has meant more to his team than Davis, who entered the season as an afterthought and then proceeded to lead Wisconsin to a share of the Big Ten title. Averaging 20 points per game at the Badgers’ plodding tempo is no small feat, but he has also been one of the game’s best closers.
• Chet Holmgren, Gonzaga: There aren’t many 7-footers who can shoot 41% from three and lead the break and be that old-school defensive anchor in the middle. Bulldogs coach Mark Few uses him effectively in both roles. Also keep an eye out for the Holmgren family dog, Slammer—the black lab who has been seen on the sidelines this season.
• Jaden Ivey, Purdue: While he’s capable of setting Twitter ablaze with a highlight-reel dunk, Ivey at times hasn’t quite lived up to potential, struggling with turnovers in big moments and inconsistency commanding the ball when the Boilermakers need him most. Now, the brightest lights in college basketball are on him. Ivey has the ability to take over this tournament and lead Purdue to a Final Four … or even further.
• David Roddy, Colorado State: With elite playmaking ability, efficiency on all three levels and great size at (6’5”), Roddy’s true gift is his ability to star as the stakes get higher. If the Rams advance, Roddy will be a household name similar to Max Abmas last season.
• Jabari Smith Jr., Auburn: This will be the only time SI’s projected No. 1 draft pick plays in the tournament, and the Tigers will need transcendent play from him in order to live up to their No. 2 seed. His unblockable jumper and late-game confidence can give Auburn a dimension no other team has.
Women’s tournament
• Aliyah Boston, South Carolina: No player in college basketball was as consistently forceful on both ends as Boston. The junior forward enters the tournament in the midst of a 24-game double-double streak, the longest in SEC history. She finished the regular season No. 1 in win shares and PER, according to HerHoopsStats.com. More importantly, she is hoping to get redemption for a missed layup that would have sent the Gamecocks to last year’s title game.
• Caitlin Clark, Iowa: The sophomore guard logged one of the greatest offensive seasons in the sport’s history this season, scoring more than 30 points 11 times and more than 40 points four times. In last year’s tournament, Iowa lost to UConn in the Sweet 16 by 20. This year, however, Clark and the Hawkeyes are coming off a Big Ten tournament victory, hoping to ride the momentum to their first Final Four since 1993.
• Naz Hillmon, Michigan: It wouldn’t be shocking if the senior forward carried Michigan out of the Wichita region and to the Final Four. The 6’2’’ big is a force on both ends, averaging 21 points, 9.4 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. Earlier this year, she accomplished a feat no other Wolverine player—man or woman—had done in school history, notching 2,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds.
• Rhyne Howard, Kentucky: Like Clark, the senior guard led her team to a conference championship. The Wildcats’ result, however, was a surprise, as they entered the SEC tournament as the No. 7 seed. A likely top-three WNBA draft pick, Howard is one of the sport’s most effective slashers, averaging 20.6 points on 44.5% shooting.
• Khayla Pointer, LSU: The senior guard has risen in prominence under Hall of Fame coach Kim Mulkey’s tutelege, averaging 19.2 points and 5.2 assists per game. Pointer is among the country’s best playmakers and, coupled with her experience, is the kind of guard who could lead her team on a deep run through the Spokane region.
ICYMI … Tournament 411
As you prepare to fill out your brackets and clear out your work calendars for Thursday and Friday, don’t forget to study up on some March Madness knowledge.
Men
• Bracket: A look at how the tourney shakes out.
• Predictions: Gonzaga or bust? Pat Forde and our group of college hoops gurus make their picks.
• Regional previews: Breaking down the four paths to New Orleans.
• Betting: Which upsets should you have on the radar? A look at the 5-vs.-12 matchups.
Women
• Bracket: Which teams will make the trip to Minneapolis?
• Predictions: Is it South Carolina’s time? Check out our experts’ picks.
• Regional previews: Ben Pickman weighs in on the players, games and bracket busters to watch.